Oil-switch.



- J. M. WALLACE.

01L SWITCH.

APPLIOATIDN FILED NOV. 2, 1906.

Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

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J. M. WALLACE.

OIL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.2, 1906.

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3 nA/H/V c y UNITED STATES PATEN OFFICE.

JOHN M. WALLACE, OF NEWBOLD-UPO1\T-AVON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL rJIaECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

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To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that 1, JOHN M. "WALLACE, a

subject of the King of Great Britain, re-

to be mounted upon switchboards or similar supports. It is customary to mount the leads 'of the circuit behind the panel or switchboard and the position of these leads with relation to the switches and the switchboard varies in different cases. It is desirable to have the leads of the circuit in such a position that they may be connected to the switch without bending or twisting, but it is often necessary, in order to connect the leads to the switch, to twist or bend them so as to bring the ends into position to be connected, and where the leads are in one plane and the switch cont-acts in another at right angles thereto, the bending and twisting required is objectionable.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and compact switch by the use of which, the twisting and bending of the leads to connect them to the switch may be avoided regardless of the position of the leads in relation to the switchboard and to the switch.

In accordance with my invention. the switch is so constructed that the position of the points of attachment of the leads may be so changed with relation to the switch frame and operating mechanism, that the leads may be "attached without twisting or bending. them; and the hired and movable contacts ofthe switch 'may be so shifted with relation to their support and to the operatingmechanismthat the leads may be directly attached to the fixed contacts regardless of the position of-the cables.

My invention also embodies other details of structure more particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention will best be understood in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- FigLLre 1 is a side view partly in section of an oil-switch constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2-is a plan view of the switch shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of/the same switch connected to leads Specification of letters Patent.

Application filed November 2, 1906.

Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

Serial No. 341,751.

in a plane at right angles to those connected to the switch shown in Fig.

My invention may be embodied in switches of many different forms, but the formwvhich I have shown for purposes of illustration is a hand-operated oil switch mounted upon a panel or switchboard 1. To the rear of this switchboard a frame 2 is securely fastened, and a handle 3 moui'itcd on the front of the switchboard serves to operate the switch. Links 1: connect the handle 3 with one arm of a bell-crank lever 5 mounted upon a pivot 6 which is carried by the frame 2. Links 7, also mounted upon the pivot 6, are pivotally connected to actuating arms 8 for the movable contacts.

Connecting links 9 are secured to the arms 8 and to the bell-crank lever 5 and by means of these links the movement of the bellcrank lever 5, due to operation of the handle 3, is transmitted to the actuating arms 8. Guiding links 10 mounted upon an abutment 11, are connected to the actuating arms 8, the abutment having a hole in the middle thereof through which a rod for actuating the movable contacts passes, and also a circular lug or extension 11 which fits into a correspondingly-shaped' hole in the plate which supports the abutment, this construction permitting rotation of the abutment with relation to the plate which supports it.

The link work above described forms a parallel-motion mechanism by means of which the free ends of the actuating arms 8 move up and down in a straight line.

The switch is provided with-a base-plate or contact supporting member 12 provided with s engthening ribs 12" and attached to the under side of the frame 2 by means of stud bolts lafand closing an opening through the frame slightly smaller than the base plate. The base plate is adjustably secured to the frame so asto be adjustable in the plane of the frame. In the switch shown, the base-plate may be rotated in a horizontal plane without a corresponding rotation of the frame or operating mechanism if the ends of the links 8 and 10 are first loosened from the switch cont-acts and the abutment 11, whereupon the base plate may be rotated from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 8, and the links 8 and 10 again connected to the switch contacts and to the abutment 11. Mounted on the baseplate are insulators of a'well known type,

carrying contact rods 16, one end of each contact rod having a connector by means of which the lead is securely attached to said contact rod; the other end of the rod carrying a fixed contact 17. The switch shown in the drawing is intended to control a threeguide openings in the base-plate l2 and connected at the top by means of a yoke 20. The free ends of the actuating arms 8 are connected to the yoke by means of a universal joint 21 consisting of a block pivoted to the arms 8 and through which the middle rod 20 loosely passes.

An oil can,22 containing a sufiicient quantity of oil to cover the fixed contacts of the switch, is removably secured to the frame 2. One side of the can is provided with lugs which engage with pivoted catches 23 which are held in the proper position by means of bolts 24: connected to the catches and passing through holes in the frame 2 and provided with wing-nuts. Bolts 25 provided with wing-nuts are pivotally secured to the other side of the oil can and when the can is in the position shown in the drawings the bolts 25 pass into recesses 26 formed by lugs upon the frame 2. The oil can is preferably, though not necessarily, square in cross-section, and is provided with an insulating lining 27 and insulating partitions 28. The oil can is preferably made of metal and the insulating linings and partitions form a removable lining which, if the can is square, may be taken out, turned through an angle of 90 and placed in position again. The oil can may be cylindrical, or it may be attached to the baseplate 12.

The operation of the device is as follows: The switch as ordinarily used has the baseplate 12 and the fixed and movable contacts in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. If, however, it be desired to use the switch in a position where the plane of the leads of the circuit to be controlled is at right angles to that shown in Fig. 2, the oil can is removed, the stud bolts 14: are loosened, the links 8 and 10 are disconnected from the movable contacts and from the abutment 11, and the base-plate 12, carrying the fixed contacts and the cooperating movable contacts, is then turned through an angle of 90 to the position shown in Fig. 3. The stud bolts are again inserted. in position, the abutment 11 is turned, if necessary, until it is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the links 8 and 10 I are attached to the movable contacts and to the abutment 11, the insulating lining is removed from the o'il can and replaced therein in proper position to correspond with the changed position of the fixed andmovable contacts, and the oil can is then attached to the frame 2 whereupon the switch is ready for operation. This adjustment permits cables in a plane of 90 from that in Fig. 2 to be connected directly to the fixed contacts of the switch without any twisting or bending.

It is obvious that many changes may be made in the formin which my invention is embodied and the switch which I have shown is merely illustrative of one form of the invention and I do not, therefore, wish to be restricted to the precise form shown and described but intend to cover by the terms of the appended claims all changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

1. An electric switch comprising a fixed support, a contact supportin member,- cooperating fixed and movab e contacts mounted on said contact supporting member, and an operating member for said movable contacts' mounted on said supportto have a definite plane of movement, said" contact supporting member being adj ustably secured to'said support to be movable in a plane transverse to the plane of movement of said operating member to permit variation in the angular position of said fixed and movable contacts with relation to said operating member while the angular relation of said contacts to each other remains unchanged.

2. An electric switch comprising a fixed frame, an operating member mounted on said frame to move in a vertical plane, a contact carrying member adjustably secured to said frame to be movable in a horizontal plane, a fixed contact and a cooperating movable contact mounted in said contact carrying member, said movable contact being connected to said operating member; whereby both said fixed and sald movable contacts may be simultaneously adjusted in a horizontal plane and the angular relation of said contacts to said operating member may be varied.

3. In an electric switch, the combination with a frame and an operating mechanism carried by said frame, of relatively movable cooperating contacts actuated by said operating mechanism, and a plate on which said contacts are mounted, said plate being mounted on said frame to be angularly adjustable relatively to said operating mechanism by movement in the plane of said plate.

4. In an electric switch, the combination with aframe, of cooperating fixed and movable contacts, an operating mechanism for said movable contact carried by said frame, a plate for carrying said cooperating contacts secured to said frame to be adjustable in a plane transverse to the plane of movement of said movable contact and relatively to said operating mechanism without relative displacement of said contacts, and a connection between said movable contact and said operating mechanism which permits the angular relation of said contact and said operating mechanism to be changed.

5. In an electric switch, the combination with a frame having a horizontal portion, of an operating ,mechanism mounted on said frame, a h0rizontal cont-act carrying plate adj ustably secured to the horizontal portion of said frame to permit adjustment in the plane of said plate, and. cooperating contacts mounted on said plate to move relatively to each other in a vertical plane, said contacts being actiia-ted by said operating mechanism.

6. In an electric switch, the combination r with a frame having a horizontal portion, of

an operating mechanism mounted on said frame, a horizontal contact carrying plate secured to the horizontal portion of said frame and angularly adjustable on said frame in the plane of said plate, and cooperating fixed and movable contacts mounted on said plate, said movable contacts being connected to said operating mechanism.

7. An electric switch comprising a frame having a horizontal portion, an operating link mounted on said frame, a contact-carrying plate secured to the horizontal portion of said frame to be angularly adjusted on said frame in the plane of said plate, a fixed con-- J. M. WALLACE.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. FULLER, J. A. Fos'rnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

